Lixiviator.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

S. T. MUFPLY. LIXIVIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 0018,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 820,812. PATENTED MAY 15, 1906. S. T. MUFFLY.

LIXIVIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.6,1905.

2 sums-5mm 2.

plant for the extraction of metals from their i forming the subject of the present invention citizen of theUnited States, residing in Philahaving the above characteristics which shall metal, or practically all of it, from the ore.

section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, further illustrating the construction of the device.

operationin a plant for the treatment of the SIDNEY T. 'MUFFLY, OF PHILADELPHlA, PEN

PHILADELPHIA CYANIDE PROO DELAl/VARE, AN PH ILADELPHI OF DELAWARE.

NSYLVANIA', ASSIONOR TO ESS COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON A, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION LIXIVIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1 06.

Application filed October a, 1905. Serial Nb. 281.6 72.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY T. MUFFLY, a

delphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Lixiviators, of which the following is a specification. n

One object of my invention isto provide a device of the class noted which shall be of such a construction that when one or a number together are used in connection with a ores the labor of handling the ore shall be reduced to a minimum. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus articularly applicable for the extraction of precious 'metals fromthe richest complex sulfid-and silicious ores which cannot be perfectly treated by other cyanid processes, which apparatus shall also be articularly adaptedto the treatmentof owgrade ores by the cyanid process, its efficiency of o eration'being suchthat it shall be commercia ly ossible to treat with profit ores running a out one dollar to two dollars pertonofore.,- i Another object is to provide an apparatus be adapted for use inconnection with a continuously-o erated extracting plant and one which shall by reason of its construction shorten the time of treatment necessary to extract the recious metals from ores as the pass throug 1 without intermission and which shall extract a large portion of such precious These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompany drawings, in' which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectionof the preferred form of a lixiviator constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation showing a number of my lixivlators as installed ready for ores of recious metals by the cyanid process, and Fig. 4 is a verticalsection illustrating the detail construction of the air-distributing device preferably employed in my lixiviators.

It will be understood that the lixiviator is particularly designed for use in connection with the process for the extraction of precious metals from their ores forming the subject of an application for United States patent, 'Serial No. 274,119, filed by me on'the 14th day with other receptacles or a paratus, the outlet ct having an adjustab e sleeve (1., inter- .nally attached at one end, while its other'end is close-fitting, but movable in the inlet of a lixiviator or other a paratus following. This connection is provid casing d tight. .The inlet and outlet, respectively, enter and leave opposite sides of the receptacle A in lines preferably tangential to a circle or circles concentric with its inner curved surface.

7 Supported in suitable hearings in the ends of the receptacle is a shaft B, having fixed to it a series of hubs b, carrying rings b, which ed with a flexible rubberfor the purpose of making it lluid-' serve as a su ort for a drum 6 u on whose surface is carried a series of buckets b The lower portion of the interior of the rece tacle is provided with a lining c of wood, 0 such thickness that its surface is just cleared .by the buckets on the drum b whenthe latter is revolved. For turning the drum-carrying shaft B, I provide a worm-wheel b*, which I drive by means of a worm b connected to any suitable source of power.

xtending longitudinally within the receptacle-cover, at the top thereof, is an air-com (luit C, connected to, an air-supply pipe 0. This conduit, as shown in Fig. 4, is mad e with a narrow slot in its lowermost portion, where by air may b simultaneouslyand uniformly delivered from said conduit within the whole length of the receptacle, and in order that the pressure of the air issuing. from the slit may be substantially the same at all points of the conduit I provide within the'latter a longitudinally-extendin deflecting-pl ate a, which prevents the air owing directly from the supply-pipe out through the portion of the slot in the conduit nearest it. A perforated pipe D also extends longitudinally within the top of the cover of receptacle A and moonnected to a pipe d, throughwhich cyanld solution is delivered from any suitable reservoir of the same. I .also provide a pipe E to carry off the gas formed or generated during the operation of the apparatus, this gas i'nthe process for which my ap aratus 1spart1cuto larly designed being hy rocyainc-acld gas, which is led through said pipe E to apparatus designed for its recovery. A second p1pe connection E is provided,;which may be attached to a pump for returning pulp or oreto' the lixiviator for repeated treatment-as, for example, in the case pf a comparatively small plant using but a single lixiviator. The connections .of my apparatus under operating conditions are shown in Fig. 3, in which six receptacles are connected in series, there being between the inlet and outlet 'con-. nections of successive receptacles the flexible connection a", of rubber or other suitable material,inclosing the movable sleeve a, as previously noted, whereby rigid connection, and

- consequent straining, of the various machines under operating conditions is avoided. In this figure it will be seenthat the ore to be treated is delivered from a crusher F to the The hydrocy anlc-acid gas generated during the operation of the lixiviators is conducted through the pipe E- to a suitable condensing.

, or absorbing device F, in which said gas is dissolved in a suitable solution and reused in carrying out the process. 7 The cyanid' solution is addedtofthe various lixiviators and to the stamp-mortar'from a series of closecovered tanks Kand K, suitably connected, as shown,- while the cyanid solution containing the precious metals isled from the lower portion of the bucket conveyer J through a pipe 1 to the covered tanks L, from which it is taken for electrolytic or other precipitation of the precious metals in .it.

ore and acertain amount of the cyanid solution-are, delivered to each of the receptacles A throughthe inlet-fittin '21- and' are then- 6 5 caught and carried in the uckets b of the.

neutralizer G and from thence to an inclosed Under the conditions existing in h P as that cribed above and illustrated? drum. 6 around to the other side of the receptacle A, where they are delivered into the outlet a from whence they flow by gravity to the next lixiviator of the series. 7 By my process cyanid solution of suitable strength is supplied throughout the whole length ofthe receptacle A by means of the perforated pipe D, which is connected by suitable piping to thecovered tanks K and K.

. During the operation of the device compressed air, preferably heated, is supplied through the pi es 0 and is delivered throughout the whole ength of the lixiviator-receptacles from the air-conduit G, With this arrangement of apparatus 1 have found that the various advantageous results heretofore noted are successfully and efliciently secured, while owing to the flexible connection a between the successive lixiviators I have found that undue strain and injury is prevented. since it is possible for one or more of these devices to vibrate in the manner common under operating conditions without transmitting such vibration to the others of the secles. While I have illustrated the drum b -as provided with structures to which I have referred as buckets, it will be understood that, if desired, I may under certain conditions employ other equivalent devices for car- 9 5 rying the ore-pulp around on said drums from'one side of the receptacle to the other.

I claim as my invention 1. A lixiviator consisting of a containingrevo uble structure within the receptacle having pulp-carrying means, with a woo'den lining within the lower portion of said recep tacle, substantially as described. i

2. A lixiviator consisting of a receptacle 05 having an inlet and an outlet, arevoluble structure within said receptacle having means thereon for carrying ulp from one side of the receptacle to the ot er, said structure consisting of a revoluble framework rovided In: with a shell consisting of longitudina wooden elements, the pul -carrying means bein at tached to said shellisubstantially as descri ed.

3. A lixiviator consisting of a substantially vhorizontal rece ta cle having an inlet and an its outlet, a revolu le structure inside said receptacle and provided with means for carrying ore-pulp from the inlet around the receptacle to the outlet, said means'b'ein g constructed to deliver the pul into the outlet, and-said 12o outlet extending om said receptacle at an angle other than ninety degrees to the surface thereof, substantially as described;

. 4. Alixiviator consistin of a'substantially 1 horizontal receptacle wit .inlet and outlet 125 fittings entering said receptacle at; an les other-than; ninety. degrees to the su ace thereof anion; opposite sides of the same, and a revollible structure within the rece tacle having means for receiving ore-pulp om 13o rece tacle having-an inlet and an outlet, a

1 a direct downward pressure upon the liquid ,r 5 r teams the inlet-fitting and transferrin it from one side to the other of said receptac e to the outlet-fitting,substantially as escribed.

5. A lixiviator consisting of a receptacle having an inlet and an outlet on opposite sides thereof, a revoluble structure in the receptacle having means for transferring material in lines at" right angles to its axis of rotation, transversely of the receptacle from the inlet to theoutlet, a fluid-supply pipe above the receptacle andanair-conduit extending in the upper portion of the receptacle for delivering air to the receptacle so that it exerts therein, substantially as described.

6. A lixiviator consisting of a receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, a revoluble device Within the receptacle for transferring material therein to the outlet, with a substantially horizontal air-conduit connected to a source of air-supply and extending in the upper portion of the receptacle, said conduit being provided with a longitudinal slot whereby air under pressure is delivered throughout the entire length of the recepta-' cle and caused to exert a direct downward pressure upon the surface of the liquid there- 1n, substantially as described.

7. A lixiviator consisting of a receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, a revoluble device within the receptacle for transferring material therein to the outlet, with a substantially horizontal air-conduit connected to a source of air-supply and extending in the upper portion of the receptacle, said conduit being provided with a longitudinal slot whereby air under pressure is delivered throughout the length of the receptacle and caused to exert a direct downward pressure upon the surface of. the liquid therein, said air-conduit being provided with an lnternal longitudinally-extendin deflector, whereby the air is caused to be de ivered with substantially uniformity from the entire len th of the said slot, substantially as describe having an inlet and an outlet on opposite In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY T. MUFFLY. Witnesses:

WALTER .CHIsM, 'Jos. H. KLEIN.

8. A lixiviator consisting of a receptacle 

